Alive Till Kingdom Come.

That night I had a bizarre dream. I was in one of the apple orchids back home, which is odd in-itself because I’ve never really been there (Being the mayors son, I’ve never really had to work in the fields). Willow and Talon where running around playing tag. I couldn’t help but smile. I watched them play for a little while until Talon ran up to me, grabbed me and said, “You’re it, Abram!”
I looked down at his hand and noticed it was bloody.
“You’re it, Abram! It’s your turn to be in the Hunger Games!” Willow said laughing. I looked down to see we were standing on bodies. The bodies of all the 23 other tributes. Rosemary with a ax in her chest, the boy from 12 with a arrow through his neck. So much blood…I felt hands grip my shoulders and looked up to meet my mother’s cold, grey eyes.
“Abram, sweetie, it’s your turn.” She whispers in my ear. “You have one left. Just kill the last one. She’s rite there!” I feel something heavy in both my hands. After all the illegal training my parents insisted I have, I know what they are…their swords. I look up to see the victim, It’s Liv…. She has a horror stricken look on her face. She’s screaming something but I can’t hear it. Last thing I remember is throwing one of the swords, Liv’s pleading and my mother’s laughing…

I awoke with a jolt, tears where streaming down my face. I felt dazed and more tired then ever. I quietly got out of bed and hoped into the shower. I needed to scrub my face, I didn’t want to look like I’ve been crying when we reach the capitol. After my shower, I got changed into the same clothes as last night. I walked into the dinning cart to see no one but Rosemary sitting patiently at the table, staring at the food. Her blonde locks where set free from the pigtails of last night and changed from her dress into a pink top and blue jeans. I sit across from her at the table, she looked up at me, her eyes red rimmed like mine.
“You’ve been crying” she said, it wasn’t a question.
“Yeah, so have you.” I say, looking down at the food, I’m starving. “Maybe we should start eating…the others might take awhile. You know, Oswald and his beauty sleep”
Rosemary laughs, it sounds like a tinkering bell. All the food was amazing, pancakes, bacon, eggs, fruit and hot chocolate. Because my mother grew up poor side of the district, my family has always been conservative with our money. Never over eating, Murphy always wearing my hand-me-downs and only recently I got my own bed even though, I still have to share a room with my baby brother. I never-minded but all this special attention and 6 course meals are something a guy could get used too.
“You don’t seem like someone who would cry. I’ve seen you around town or school with your friends or siblings, you always looked so happy.” Rosemary said. In all honesty, I can’t remember Rosemary outside of the past two days. She recognizes me but I can’t even remember her. A pang of guilt shoots through me and I feel like I need to make it up to her some how.
“Are you in my little brothers class?” I blurt out. She looks up at me again.
“Yeah, he always talks about you.” I blush.
“Oh” is all I can manage to say. I play with the fruit on my plate.
“You and your mother don’t seem really close.”
“Yeah, we aren’t.” before I can control myself it all slips out, “It’s just that, she always seemed so distant. I always assumed she doesn’t care about me and then…and then I practically get a death sentence and she try’s to coddle me like…like it makes up for 16 years of indifference! Like it changes everything! I’ve always had to take care of Willow and Talon and then she does this! It’s not fair!” My voice rises, Rosemary looks shocked.
“Sorry…you didn’t deserve to hear that… You have your own problems.” The awkwardness fills the silence and I begin to chew on the eggs that feel too dry in my mouth.
“About that, what my mother told you to do…”
“Good morning!” Oswald shouts in my ear, I try not to jump. Chaff, my mother and the ever-quite Seeder enter the room.
“Sleep well?” my mother asks as she sits down.
“Relatively, I dreamed about killing children.”
Everyone looks at me and I avoid their gaze. I don’t feel like dealing with anyone today. We all ate in silence until Oswald says, “Oh! Look where here!”
Rosemary and I rush to the window to see huge buildings and brightly colored people. Most recognize us and begin pointing like we are animals in a petting zoo. Rosemary looks surprised and grabs on to the hem of my shirt, something Willow would do when she’s frightened.
“Smile.” I whisper, she does as I say and I find myself grinning as well. We’ve made it.